Remembrance Day: South Perth and Victoria Park hosting ceremonies

PEOPLE will stop and reflect on the sacrifices made by Australian service personnel at the South Perth War Memorial on Friday.

South Perth RSL president Alan Stringer said he expected between 150 to 200 people to attend the Remembrance Day service.

“We have about 800 people at the Anzac Day services but we usually get around 200 for the Remembrance Day services,” he said.

“The Mayor (Sue Doherty) will welcome the dignitaries and then people will be called on to lay wreaths.

“We have kids from the Como Primary School choir singing and then we will invite everyone for morning tea at the council building; it’s usually a very short service.”

Mr Stringer said he reflected on the tragedy of World War I during Remembrance Day.

“The day is about the end of hostilities during World War I but for me it is a reminder that we should end all hostilities,” he said.

“The war was a massacre and the introduction of machineguns changed everything.

“Guys would charge out of the trenches and get shot down.”

The Town of Victoria Park will once again honour fallen servicemen and women with a ‘Field of Remembrance’ to be planted in Memorial Gardens during a special ceremony on Remembrance Day.

The community is welcome to attend and participate in the planting of around 2500 artificial poppies and 50 white crosses which have been made over the past two years as a part of an intergenerational project between the Victoria Park Men’s Shed, local schools, senior’s centres and the wider community.

This year has also seen the inclusion of a Remembrance Day themed poetry competition for local primary school students.

The winning entry will receive a donation of $200 to their school and will be recited at the ceremony.

Town of Victoria Park Mayor Trevor Vaughan will follow the planting of the poppies with a short commemorative ceremony.

“It is important that we come together as a community to pay our respects and honour the men and women who have fallen in active duty defending Australia,” he said.

Community members are invited to Memorial Gardens on the corner of Harvey Street and Albany Highway from 10.15am to participate in planting a poppy or cross, followed by a moment of silence at 11am.